1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compression garments and related methods or treating lymphedema and other forms of edema.
2. The Relevant Technology
Lymphedema is a chronic lifetime debilitation which is characterized by swelling in the arms and/or legs. This swelling is caused by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the extremities. Lymphedema is typically caused by either congenital-disruption of the normal lymphatic drainage system or by damage to the lymphatic drainage system. For example, lymphedema is often caused by the removal of lymph nodes which is due to the treatment of cancers such as breast cancer and lymphatic cancer.
Treating lymphedema and other forms of edema typically consists of a decongestive therapy wherein the unwanted fluid is initially drained from the extremity. Maintenance therapy is then used to prevent repeated accumulation of such fluid. Various forms of compression garments which apply an external compressive force to the patient's arms and/or legs have been used in the decongestive and maintenance therapies. While compression garments have met with some success, conventional compression garments have several shortcomings. For example, most approaches to the decongestive and maintenance therapies require a completely separate type of compression garment. Accordingly, such therapies have increased costs to the patient.
Furthermore, many compression garments are made of a thick foam material which is bulky and awkward to use, difficult to clean, and uncomfortable to wear in that it has poor breathability. Such bulky compression garments can also be emotionally uncomfortable in public in that they are highly conspicuous. Inflatable compression garments also suffer from lack of breathability and increased complexity. An additional problem with many compression garments is their poor ability to drain the unwanted fluid from the extremity.